Massive Bob Dylan mural to cover building in downtown Minneapolis
A famous Brazilian artist is creating a giant mural of Bob Dylan in downtown Minneapolis.
By: Rachel Chazin
MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A team of artists have begun painting a 60-foot tall, 150-foot wide portrait of Minnesota-native Bob Dylan on a building in downtown Minneapolis. The $50,000 mural was commissioned by the building’s owner, Goldman Sachs, in coordination with Hennepin Theatre Trust.
The five-story mural will cover a wall on the 15 Building, an historic Art Deco officer tower built in the 1920s which is located at Fifth Street and Hennepin Avenue. See more photos of the mural at http://www.fox9.com/news/12825343-gallery.
“The mural is a project of Hennepin Theatre Trust and adds to its growing portfolio of distinct projects that add art to unexpected – and often unadorned – spaces in the downtown Minneapolis Cultural District,” Hennepin Theatre Trust stated.
Massive Bob Dylan mural to cover building in downtown Minneapolis
Well-known Brazilian muralist Eduardo Kobra began painting the mural on Wednesday. He's assisted by a team of five artists including three Brazilians and two Minnesota-based muralists. Kobra’s murals of famous or historical figures are known for their kaleidoscopic use of bright colors and bold lines.
“Eduardo Kobra’s new mural will add an invigorating and colorful international artwork to the downtown Cultural District and Hennepin Avenue,” Tom Hoch, President and CEO of Hennepin Theatre Trust, said. “At the same time, it celebrates Bob Dylan who is not only one of Minnesota’s most admired native sons, but also a former owner of the Trust’s Orpheum Theatre.”
Kobra said they planned, studied, and mapped out the plan for 20 days before starting. It'll take them 15 days to finish the mural, working 12 hours each day.
Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minn. in 1941 and raised in Hibbing on the Mesabi Range west of Lake Superior. He formed several bands while attending Hibbing High School and later enrolled at the University of Minnesota where he performed at local coffee shops and venues.
He has since sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.
“I bet people walked by this space all the time and thought nothing of it, and today they see it as an amazing work of art," Naomi Pesky, Hennepin Theatre Trust, said.